Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

E rica watched as A'rien dragged their makeshift boat down to the waterline, doing her best to hide her churning emotions. The sun was barely above the horizon, but he had told her the winds and the current would be in their favor then.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

No , a part of her wanted to cry. They had been so happy here on the island.

But it had been based on a lie, she reminded herself. She'd been given no choice.

"I'm ready."

She did her best to sound confident, but her hands shook as she stepped into the small vessel. A'rien had spent the last week slowly burning and scraping away the insides of one of the fallen trees to create a rough canoe. Long poles were lashed to the front and rear, with smaller logs attached to them to create outriggers. He had told her they would make the canoe more stable, but the whole thing looked disturbingly small and flimsy compared to the wide expanse of water separating them from the distant shore.

At least it's calm , she thought hopefully as she settled into the narrow opening. The supplies they were taking with them were also packed tightly into the small space. Peri poked his head up out of her bag, watching with wide eyes as A'rien pushed the boat away from the shore, and then jumped in behind her. The tide was going out, carrying them away from the beach, and another pang of sadness washed over her.

"Are you going to raise the sail?" she asked, fighting back a sudden urge to cry.

While he had been building the boat, she had been occupied with creating the triangular sail, weaving the vines as tightly as possible so that it would catch the wind.

"As soon as we clear the headland," he murmured, his breath warm against her skin.

His big body was pressed against her back, closer than he had been since he had told her the truth. He had strung a hammock for her, but he hadn't attempted to join her. At first, she hadn't wanted him to, still feeling angry and betrayed, but as the week wore on, she missed him more and more.

She knew he missed her too. She saw how he watched her when he thought she wasn't looking, his face wistful. She had almost gone to him last night, but in the end, she had talked herself out of it. They were leaving more than the island. If what he suspected was correct, they would be leaving the entire planet, each returning to their own worlds. It was best to make a clean break.

Her eyes stung, but she convinced herself it was from the salt in the stiffening breeze.

The canoe floated easily on the water, and as they cleared the last point of land, he raised the sail. The boat leapt forward, flying before the wind. Despite her sorrow, it was an exhilarating feeling and she found herself smiling. She turned to look at him over her shoulder, and their eyes met. She saw the same pleasure in his eyes, and for one moment, they were together again.

But then a shadow fell over his face, and she remembered that they were traveling to different futures. She turned away from him, the wind chilling the tears on her cheeks.

In one of their brief conversations prior to their departure, he had told her that he hoped to reach the mainland by midday. But as the sun rose ever higher, the distant shore didn't seem to grow any closer.

"Is something wrong?" she finally asked.

"No—well, perhaps. I had hoped that the wind would carry us across but the current is too strong. We're moving parallel to the coast."

The palms of her hands turned clammy. "You mean we won't make the mainland?"

Did that mean that they would keep sailing until they died of thirst or exhaustion?

"No, I don't mean that. The tide should turn soon. With any luck, it will carry us ashore."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then I'll find another way. Don't worry, zenska. You are safe with me."

Bitter words leapt to her tongue, but in the end, she remained silent. He had kept her safe, even if it had been for his benefit more than hers.

No, that wasn't fair. He had kept the truth from her, but he had cared for her and protected her in every other way.

"I know I am," she said softly, and heard his breath catch.

It didn't change anything, but she felt lighter for having said it.

The sun continued to creep across the sky as she kept her eyes on the mainland. Was it getting closer or was it just her imagination?

"Is it working?" she asked.

"Yes, but not quickly enough." A'rien let the sail drop and put his arms around her. "The wind is shifting, and I don't have enough control to go against it."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I'm going to have to tow the boat ashore."

"What?" She whirled around to find herself face to face with him.

"It will be fine, zenska. My body is built for the water."

"But you said the currents were too strong. Or was that not true either?"

She saw the hurt flash across his face before he answered her. "It would have been true if we were still at the island. But we are more than halfway across and I will be moving with the tide."

"I don't want you to leave me," she admitted. Not now. Not ever.

"I won't be leaving you. I'll be right here."

He brushed a kiss across her lips, then slipped into the water in one quick, easy motion. The boat barely rocked. He surfaced long enough to take hold of a rope and smiled up at her.

"I need to travel underwater to lessen the resistance, but I'm still with you, zenska."

He disappeared again before she could respond. Her gaze focused on that single length of vine as it tautened and she felt the boat respond. She was afraid to look away, afraid that the line would go slack and he would be gone. When she finally dragged her eyes away long enough to check their distance to the mainland, she thought—no, she was sure—that they were closer.

A'rien continued to swim and pull, and more of the shoreline came into view. She could pick out individual trees now and see that the land sloped gently upwards. Not much further.

Something flickered in the corner of her eye, and she turned her head in time to see an enormous tentacle curl across one of the outriggers. The whole canoe started to tilt in that direction, and for a terrifying moment, she thought she would be dragged under. Then the vines holding the log in place snapped, and the boat sprang back upright as the outrigger disappeared beneath the waves.

A'rien? Where was he?

Her heart thudded painfully against her chest as she saw that the towing rope had gone slack. She searched frantically for some sign of him. Instead, she saw the tentacle reappear, curling around the other log. Once again, the boat began to tilt in that direction, and this time the vines held. She was going to be dragged under.

Peri trembled as she lifted him out of the bag, but at least if he was free, he had a chance of making the shore.

A dark head appeared next to the boat and a knife flashed, cutting the outrigger free. A'rien! He was alive!

Tears poured down her cheeks as she reached for him, but he grabbed the rope again and started to swim, pulling what was left of the boat behind him with incredible speed.

The shore was almost within reach, waves starting to build beneath them, when their forward motion stopped. She turned around to see a tentacle slithering across the back of the canoe.

A'rien pulled harder, but he couldn't pull the canoe free from that monstrous arm. The rope went slack as he swam back to her.

"You have to swim for it, zenska," he urged, just as another tentacle covered the bow of the canoe.

She grabbed Peri as A'rien pulled them into the water, fighting against her rising panic. Then something slithered around her ankle and dragged her under.

She caught a terrifying glimpse of a yawning mouth in the depths below, and then she was free, choking down air as she resurfaced. A'rien surfaced next to her, his blade dark with blood.

"Go," he ordered, then dove under the water again.

The water started to churn, but she couldn't see anything, couldn't think of any way to help him. Peri tugged at her, and she choked back a sob and followed him.

She kicked frantically, constantly expecting to feel something dragging her under, but nothing stopped her headlong progress. As her panic subsided, she tried to stop and look for A'rien, but the waves picked her up and threw her onto the beach.

Peri nudged her, urging her further away from the water, but she refused to leave, scanning the water for any sign of A'rien. The waves continued to crash onto the beach, but beyond them, the surface remained calm and undisturbed.

"Please let him be all right," she prayed, even as her eyes burned and tears mingled with the saltwater on her cheeks.

Peri squeaked and tugged her hand, but she ignored him until he gave her thumb a quick nip.

She turned to yell at him and saw why he'd been trying to get her attention. A big blue figure was sprawled out in the sand further down the beach. He didn't move as she raced towards him, and her heart thudded painfully against her chest as she flung herself down next to him.

His hair was tangled and matted, blood streaked the side of his face, and he had a nasty gash down one arm, but when she put her hand cautiously on his cheek, his eyes fluttered open.

"You're alive," she sobbed.

The faintest trace of his cocky grin curved his lips.

"Alive," he agreed in a hoarse whisper. "And you're safe."

"Thanks to you." Her mouth trembled. "I love you, A'rien."

His good arm lifted to brush away her tears. "I know. I love you too, A'reka."